silk_steam_and_steelfandomcom-20200214-history
Heavenly Citation
Heavenly Citation 1/20/17 Languages Spoken: Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian. Scripts Read: Chinese, Manchu, Classical Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Latin. Armaments: Notable Equipment and Resources: Collection of Ridiculous Swords: Inspector Zhang took up collecting swords as a hobby related to his love of fencing, and before he knew it, his friends and collegues were constantly giving him new ones as gifts, usually when seeking some kind of favor. He usually carries one or two of them on his person, and leaves the rest in an extra-large briefcase. When opened, the case folds out into a tree-like stand, giving him easy access to each of them. Collapsing Straightsword: This sword was a gift from Jade Butterfly, who presented with a sly mile and a nod. It is Zhang's backup sword, which collapses down into it's own hilt, allowing Zhang to easily hide it up his sleeve or under his robe. This is a good thing, as he is not always able to carry all those other ridiculous swords on him. Poison Straightsword: This sword was a gift from Doctor Hu, with the instructions "try not to kill yourself." The blade is coated in a powerful neurotoxin, applied via the a resevoir in the sword's handle. Anyone struck by the blade suffers experiences intense nausea, and loses the ability to perform Stunts. Flaming Straightsword'':'' This sword was a gift from Shooting Star, who told told him to "stab the bastards on fire". This sword has a reserve of highly flammible fuel in it's hilt, a flint lighter in it's crossguard, and a series of grooves along the blade which cause it dispense readily. Damage from this sword sets enemies on fire, causing them to suffer a light wound each round until extinguished. Electric Straightsword: This sword was a gift from Awakened Polarity, who "just really wanted to see how it would work." The blade is made of a highly conductive metal, and has a high-powered capacictor in it's hilt, causing it to electrocute foes struck by it. Those so damaged lose Breath equal to the number of wounds they take. Thermal Straightsword;'' This sword superheats, letting it cleave through metal with ease. It has the Armor Piercing quality. The sword was a gift from Devil in the Wind, who in turn stole it off of a dead body. Mechanical Straightsword: This sword was a gift from Iron Pen, and is by far the most loud an ostentatious of Inspector Zhang's collection, beating out even the fire sword. It's blade is jagged and saw-toothed, and with the press of a button, it vibrates like a mechanical sawblade; it deals an extra level of wounding against unarmored foes, but one less level of wounding against armored ones. There is a poem carved along the blade, that reads: “The double-edged sword cuts both ways/ the double-faced man cut from from both sides/Try not to cut your own head off.” Zhang and Iron Pen do not exactly like each other. Horse: Supposedly, this horse was a "gift" from a local deity seeking a favorable review, and is a dragon that was turned into a horse as punishment; most likely, it is just a very smart horse. It's name is Thunderbolt. Smaller Briefcase: Of course. What kind of official would he be without a whole mess of liscenses, forms, and other mysterious scrolls. Lavish Lifestyle: Inspector Zhang leads an opulent lifestyle, complete with fine dining, large personal apartments, and a massive wardrobe of fine silk clothing. Said lifestyle has nearly bankrupted him. Talents: '''Friends in High Places!' You are exceptionally well connected in the government. Whenever you need a clerk, detective, bureaucrat, or similar official ally, you know a guy who you are on reasonably good terms with. Forging the Official Seal! You are well enough versed in law and bureaucracy that you can easily fake official seals, paperwork, passports, and so on. When faking a form, make a Scholarship check to determine it's apparent authenticity; anyone who examines it must make an opposed Scholarship check to see the forgery for what it is. Consult the Spirits! You can speak with the spirits of heaven and earth. You can summon the spirits of nature, angels in heaven, and the ghosts of the dead. Roll a Shamanism check, and spent a point of Breath; for every success, you may ask the spirit one question before it leaves. Spirits generally answer honestly, though obtusely.The spirits may appear before you in body, in dreams, or speak through your mouth; in any case, only you can see them, and you may appear a little bit odd when doing this with company around. Flying Ghost Sword! You call a spirit to take control of a sword, dagger, or other weapon. Spend a point of Breath; for the duration of the scene, one or more of your weapons becomes possessed. You may make ranged attacks with said weapon at Medium range, using your Shamanism as the attack skill. Any number of weapon may be imbued with this quality, allowing clouds of daggers or swarms of spears to fly through the air while others float menacingly; when animating multiple weapons, the Shaman may make area attacks, as per using an explosive weapon. Walk with the Ancestors! The shaman can summon a benign spirit to take control of his body and do what he can not. Though ones own ancestors are the most common benficiaries, any manner of spirit may be called. When calling the spirit, Spend a point of Breath and choose a skilll that the spirit specializes in (Melee, Stealth, Deception, etc.) While possessed, he may make spend breath to make combined Shamanism rolls with that skill, taking the better of the two results for the remainder of the scene. Spirit Walker!''' You can leave your body behind, astrally projecting to explore the physical world as a spirit. To do so, the Shaman first enters into a deep trance. His spirit moves freely, walking through walls and floating through the air. The spirit is generally undetected, though someone trained in Shamanism, Mentalism, Awareness, or Insight may be able to notice them. The spirit can sometimes enter the dreams of sleeping individuals to pass along messages. While using this talent, the physical body remains inert and vulnerable. Should the body be moved, the soul may have difficulty returning. Counter: An astrally projected spirit is invulnerable to physical harm, but susceptible to spiritual harm. If detected by antoher Shaman with the Soul Reaver talent, they may be trapped, destroyed, or severed from their body. '''Skin Taker! You can forcibly possess the body of someone else. In order to use this talent, you must either be in physical contact with your target, or have astrally projected via the Leave the Body talent. Spend a point of Breath, and select a target and make a Shamanism check opposed by your target's Insight. If successful, you take full control of the target's body. The original spirit is still present, but is rendered a silent observer in their own body. While possessing another, the Shaman's original body is inert and comatose. If the original spirit is still present, it may continue making Insight checks each round to regain control of their body. If the host spirit has been removed via Soul Taking, the new body is permanently in control of the invading Shaman. Many a devious Shaman have used this ability to extend their own life, hopping from one body to another across the generations. Counter:If someone attempts use Possession on another Shaman trained in this ability, the target may spend a point of Breath and roll their own Shamanism check to trap the attacking spirit. If successful, then it is the attacker's soul that is trapped in the defender's body, instead of vice-versa. Soul Reaver! One of the most advanced and forbidden Shamanic techniques, Soul Taking allows you remove -and even destroy- the living soul of another being. To activate this talent, spend a point of Breath, and roll Shamanism against your target's Insight; if successful, the soul is removed from the body. Against most, this leaves the body alive but inert in a comatose state, while the soul wanders freely as a ghost. A ghost may attempt to re-possess an empty body on it's next round, by rolling another Insight check against the caster's initial Shamanism roll. When used against a soul that has already been removed from the body – such as the victim of a previous Soul Taking, or another Shaman who is astrally projecting, this ability can permanently sever the link between body and soul. Once again, the caster rolls Shamanism against the target's Insight; if successful, the soul is either trapped in a physical object, dragged down to hell, forced to wander the earth as a ghost forever, or erased from existence. More benevolently, this ability may be used to exorcise spirits possessing another, canceling the affects of abilities like Walk With the Ancestors or Skin Walker. Biography: Though he seems impecably Chinese, Zhang Wufen was actually born in rural Manchuria, the son of a shamaness. From her, he learned the secret to dealing with gods and spirits: Don't put up with their horseshit. He was trained in the shaman's arts: how to summon gods, how to cross into the land of the dead, how not to be intimidated by their bluster. He eventually made his way to the capital where he studied the writings of Confucius. He passed his official exams with flying colors, quickly rising to the rank of "Inspector Over Ghosts and Spirits." His duties involved reviewing village and city gods, assessing their performances for their communties, and assigning punishments for those who had performed poorly: suspension of sacrifices, sometimes even destruction of temples. His career has left him with a litany of gods and spirits who owe him favors that can be called upon at any given time. Personality: Zhang has a very high opinion of himself, as should be expected from a man who bosses around deities. He can easily come off as condescending, which is only sometimes unintentional. He is less radical than most of his colleagues, believing that corruption must be reformed both from within and from without. As such, he rather dangerously plays both sides of the law, both as knight errant and official. Appearance: Zhang's high opinion of himself is reflected in his dress, and he tends to wear brightly colored and lavishly embroidered silks. He unfortunately suffers from nearsightedness, and wears glasses to corect his vision. Playstyle: Zhang is a magic-based social character. His career has left him with a litany of gods and spirits (as well as mortals) who owe him favors, whom he can call on at any point. His high social standing makes it easier for him to access people and places he otherwise might not be able to. He also has quite a talent for swordplay, and fancies himself quite a fencer; as a result, he is constantly being bribed with various cutting edge swords by friends seeking favors, and carries all of them around in a briefcase. He alternates between using them one at a time, two at a time, or all eight at a time via the Flying Ghost Sword talent. Relationships: Zhang and Doctor Hu have an amicable rivalry, each considering the other to be almost as smart as himself. He and Iron Pen have radically different political views, and are prone to clashing. Shooting Star, with her rough manners and anarchic worldviews, pains him all the more. Inspector Zhang has taken a surprising fondness toward Barbarian Witch, feeling that the girl's natural gall towards the will of heaven is a sign of good character.